Quad was a one-man band in the mid-1960s who could do no wrong. Its recently released ESL-57 electrostatic loudspeaker was revolutionary and widely regarded as one of the best designs in the world. Its Quad II valve power amplifiers were also of high quality, and they had garnered a lot of fans. This made it […]
In 1986, just as it appeared that vinyl was nearing its end, the SME Series V arrived. The tagline “the best pickup arm in the world” had been used by the Steyning company for a long time, but it had become a bit of a joke. The SME Series III was far from this, and
SME Series IV Review Read More »
According to the original 1985 Nait, a newborn Naim delivered roughly 7W per channel. Small boxes from Salisbury, like the (then) new UnitiQute, pushed out 45W per side by 2010, and included DAB, FM, uPnP streaming, and USB sources, as well as a built-in DAC and analogue inputs. How quickly things have changed! It was
Naim UnitiQute Review Read More »
Quad has typically catered to rich, (small c) conservative people who value quality but aren’t willing to spend exorbitant prices for it. Perhaps this explains why the 909 power amplifier is essentially a gently revised and rehoused 405 – the company’s award-winning, high-capacity transistor power amplifier that was introduced in 1975. There’s nothing wrong with
The range and depth of hi-fi in the 1970s were enormous. We’ve all heard of the emergence of the major Japanese labels, but there were lots of smaller continental European names developing as well, amid the last gasps of British brands like Garrard and Leak. Bang & Olufsen was arguably at its pinnacle at the
Sonab C 500 Review Read More »
It’s easy to dismiss Nakamichi as a seller of exorbitantly priced esoterica. The company earned legendary status thanks to its well-known Dragon and MusicLink lines. Its marque, like Luxman, MacIntosh, Revox, or Goldmund, had guilt-edged, twenty-four-carat gold-plated assurance. Isn’t it true that Nakamichi’s odds of doing anything even substantially affordable were slimmer than seeing flying
Nakamichi 480 Review Read More »
This legendary electrostatic still has a magical quality to it fifty-seven years after development began. In comparison to other loudspeakers of the time, the ESL-57 provided excellent clarity because to its mix of superb sound quality and attractive appearance. Its outstanding transparency and speed drew the attention of BBC engineers, who quickly adopted it as
Quad ESL-57 Review Read More »
This machine has recently received a lot of attention, and it is quickly becoming collectible. Of course, it has every right to be, as the world’s first commercially available CD player and not only Sony Corporation’s first silver disc spinner. It was first released on October 1, 1982, at a cost of Y168,000, but only
Sony CDP-101 Review Read More »
NEAT Acoustics has been a full-fledged loudspeaker producer for several decades, although North East Audio Traders has long since ceased retail operations. Bob Surgeoner, the company’s founder, is a fascinating and amiable individual who is also a talented and prolific musician. It’s no wonder, then, that his speakers are consistently delightful to listen to. This
Quad’s Vena features a totally new, high-quality Class AB amplifier with a strong 45W RMS per channel on the inside (quoted). It features a Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC, which is also used in Quad’s Platinum series CD players, as well as aptX Bluetooth connectivity, making it ideal for users who have music stored on their
